http://anubias-engl.blogspot.com/
http://www.flowgrow.de/db/aquaticplants/anubias-barteri-var-nana-petite-bonsai

I use to think bonsia was just a bs name sellers slapped on to increase $ on petite, but its a differnt plant, not the same as petite.

If you want pinkie nail sized leaves look for MICRO instead of petite or bonsia.

 

There are defective hybrids of aquatic plants, the most familiar exmple being Rotala macrandra var. 'Mini Buttefly' which is an unstable hybrid, having the tendency to revert to a form called Rotala macrandra 'Catterpillar' under less than ideal conditions or randomness, becoming quite opposite of the tiny leaved red 'Mini Butterfly'.
I've read that Anubias 'Bonsai' is actually the reverted form of an unstable Anubias barteri nana 'Petite' or Anubias 'Petite', which has gown back to take the form of a regular Anubias barteri nana. So leaf Sizes.. .would probably be A. barteri> A. barteri nana and A. barteri nana 'bonsai'> A. barteri nana 'Petite'> A. barteri nana 'Micro'.

I've also read that 'bonsai' are also sold under A. nana

 

It's the same plant from two different nurseries. Leaves do not get more than 1" long. 2-3" sounds like Nana, not petite/bonsai.

 

I have 3 different size anubias from the same rhizome(all "petite") seems to depend on lighting. Ofcourse the ones producing tiny leaves are closest to the light. Also, moving them around helps with uniformity. Largest "petite" has 1" leaves, smallest has <pea size. Some plants have all sizes....

 

Hi MonsterMoss,

Yes, they are the same plant. The growers in Asia sell Anubias barteri nana 'Petite' as 'Bonsai'. If you see 'Bonsai' in a LFS chances are it was imported from Asia.

 

I bought small "nail-sized leaf" Anubias ,from the same LFS ,in different periods ,maybe even different years?..

The first ones were sold as Anubias "micro" ,the others were sold as "bonsai" ,others as "petite".....still ,at this day I cannot tell which is which.Maybe my tank conditions didn't allow them to grow bigger leaves than a fingernail ,I am not sure.They seem to be less prone to algae than the anubias bought as "Nana" -whose leaves are bigger though-

Anubias "Nana" also seem to grow slower than the small-leaved ones.All varieties are in the same tank.